Jump rope



' Jan. 5, 1960 R. F. EBB

JUMP ROPE Filed March 1'7, 1959 Rnmown E EBB INYENTOR.

Patent Age United States Patent JUMP ROPE Raymond F. Ebb, Bristol, Conn. Application March 17, 1959, Serial No. 799,900 3 Claims. (Cl. 272- 75) My invention relates to toys and more particularly to the popular toy known as jump rope or skip rope.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a jump rope the entertaining value of which is enhanced by its combination with a sound device, which produces a whistling sound when the jump rope is swung in the customary skipping operation.

Another important object of my invention is to provide a toy comprising a jump rope and a sound device, in which the sound device is self-aligning with respect to its direction of motion, so as to assume automatically the position of the highest efficiency during the swinging of the jump rope.

A further object of my invention is to provide a toy of great entertaining value to a child, which is safe to use and economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the present application, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred example of my invention,

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the preferred form of my invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the preferred form of the sound device,

Figure 3 is a frontal elevational view of the same,

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the same.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the jump rope, composed of two or more pliable strands, loosely wound, permitting the easy torsional flexing of the rope. Secured to each end of the rope I is a handle 2, made of wood or other suitable material.

Secured to the jump rope I are the sound devices 3, of which two are shown in Fig. 1. In alternative forms of my invention the number of the sound devices 3 may be different without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The construction of this sound device 3 is shown in more detail in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. One of the principal elements of this sound device 3 is the air scoop 4, which is hollow semi-spherical in shape with a circular open end. Opposite to this open end the air scoop 4 is provided with a central hole 6, containing the whistle 7 which, in the preferred form of my invention (see Fig. 2) consists of two opposing disks 8, having co-axial holes 9, and enclosing the chamber 10. In alternative forms of my invention whistles of other construction known in the art may be used.

Adjacent to its open end the air scoop 4 is provided with an external groove 5, circular in shape, which is interposed between the separated strands of the rope I for attaching the air scoop 4 to the rope 1. The location of this groove in relation to the open end of the air scoop 4 constitutes an important feature of the present invention, which results in the following advantageous and novel operational characteristic of the toy:

In the operation of the toy the jump rope is swung around at high velocity, imparting a high velocity to the air scoops attached to the rope. Due to its inertia the air rushes through the open end of the fast moving air scoop and builds up a high pressure within the air scoop, causingthe flow of an air current through the whistle and thereby producing a sound. The efiectiveness of this operation will obviously depend on the angular position of the air scoop with respect to the direction of the motion of the scoop. If the axis of the circular open end is in line with the direction of motion the efleetiveness of the scoop and the whistle is maximum. Conversely, if the axis of the opening of the scoop is at right angle to the direction of motion the elfectiveness of the scoop and the whistle is zero. In my invention, as a result of the shape and the method of suspension of the scoop, during the motion the air resistance produces a torque, which turns and keeps the air scoop automatically in the position of maximum effectiveness, that is, with the open end facing the incoming air. This characteristic of the air scoop is one of the advantageous and novel features of the present invention.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herein described and illustrated, is only an example of the same, and various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without de parting from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A toy comprising a jump rope composed of strands; handles attached to the ends of said rope; a semi-spherical hollow air scoop, provided at its open end with an external circular groove, interposed between the strands of said rope for securing said scoop to said rope, said scoop having, opposite to its open end, a central hole, located substantially co-axially with said circular groove; an air actuated sounding device inserted into said central hole of the said scoop and being actuated by the air current flowing through said scoop so as to produce a sound when said air scoop and jump rope are in motion.

2. A jump rope composed of strands; handles attached to the ends of said rope; a semi-spherical hollow air scoop having a circular open end and being provided with an air actuated sounding device at its end opposite to said open end, producing a sound when air passes through said air scoop, said scoop having adjacent to its open end an external circular groove, which is interposed between the strands of said rope providing a torsionally flexible connection between said air scoop and said rope permitting the automatic self-aligning of the said scoop, toward the direction of motion, actuated by the air resistance when the jump rope is swung.

3. In combination with a jump rope composed of strands; a sound device comprising a semi-spherical hollow air scoop with a circular open end and provided with an air actuated sounding device located opposite said open end, said sounding device producing a sound when actuated by an air current flowing in through said open end, said air scoop having an external circular groove adjacent to said open end, said groove being interposed between the strands of the said jump rope providing a torsionally flexible connection between said air scoop and said jump rope, permitting the automatic self-alignment of said scoop toward the direction of the motion, when actuated by the air resistance caused by the motion of the jump rope and the attached sound device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Switzerland Apr. 30. 1948 

